For the first time since 2019, the Security TWENTY series of shows by Professional Security Magazine are fully and truly running. That’s because on Tuesday and Thursday, September 6 and 8, ST22 is running in Belfast and Dublin.
The ST21 Belfast event was able to go ahead last September, but not the Dublin one, due to the covid pandemic. But (fingers crossed!) ST22 has gone ahead, a bumper seven shows, namely Birmingham in the spring, then Glasgow and Cardiff, Manchester in July, and as usual we will close the year at Heathrow in November.
The ST format is standing the test of time – doors open at about 8.30am, and early risers who want to see the show and then dash off to the rest of their day can be fortified by bacon butties (but beware – they do go fast!). There’s a hot buffet lunch – so there is such a thing as a free lunch, because ST is free to attend, whatever your interest in the private security industry – whether you’re a manager or installer or consultant-specifier, whatever your branch or focus, and even if you’re not in private security but a related field such as the police or military and just want to keep up with what’s what.
Belfast is at the previous years’ venue, the Europa Hotel downtown, while ST22 Dublin is at a new venue, still on the outskirts of the city, the Crowne Plaza at Blanchardstown. Exhibition space at each is sold out, so whatever field of security you’re interested in, there should be someone you can talk to.
At Belfast from 10am we have a conference – speakers invited are the always entertaining and informative ‘super recogniser’ exponent Mike Neville; John Davidson from the National Security Inspectorate (NSI), and James Gribben of the BSIA; and manufacturer updates from sponsors Hikvision, Axis Communications and BT. Dublin isn’t having a conference.
The evening before the actual show we have a get-together. On Monday evening, September 5, we will be hosting an informal charity fundraising dinner to encourage attendees to network and mingle, in a relaxed way, while raising funds for a nominated charity, that typically is suggested by one of our friends, visitors or exhibitors. At Security TWENTY 22 Belfast we will be raising funds for the RNLI Northern Ireland; and on the Wednesday evening in Dublin, for Little Blue Heroes which is run entirely by volunteers made up of Garda (the Republic of Ireland police force) members/staff and their families.
Not only is ST free, you can turn up on the day if you like, though we would like you to register beforehand – purely so that we can judge numbers, for catering purposes. You can register via the website or if you email organiser Liz Lloyd at [email protected].
If you’re the organised type, we’ve already arranged the ST23 dates – click here for them, to put them in your diary.
Picture by Mark Rowe; ST21 Belfast show floor.
